How do motivational regulation strategies affect achievement: Mediated by effort management and moderated by intelligence

It was assumed that the effect of motivational regulation strategies on achievement is mediated by effort management and moderated by intelligence. A sample of 231 11th and 12th grade German high-school students provided self-reports on their use of motivational regulation strategies and effort management and completed an intelligence test. Students' half-year grades (GPA) were assessed six months later. As expected, motivational regulation strategies were not directly related to GPA but showed positive effects on students' effort management which in turn predicted students' GPA. Intelligence and effort management were equally strong direct predictors of GPA. Also as expected, more intelligent students benefitted more from using some, but not all, motivational regulation strategies in terms of increased effort management. Implications of these findings regarding the effectiveness of motivational regulation strategies are discussed.     

Innovation on demand—Can public procurement drive market success of innovations?

Public procurement has been at the centre of recent discussions on innovation policy. We embed it into the broader framework of public policies to stimulate innovation: regulations, R&D subsidies and basic research at universities. We synthesize the characteristics of all four instruments conceptionally and quantitatively compare their effects on innovation success for 1100 firms in Germany. We find that public procurement and knowledge spillovers from universities propel innovation success equally. The benefits of university knowledge apply uniformly to all firms. However, public procurement is especially effective for smaller firms in regions under economic stress and in distributive or technological services.     

A structural equation model of the impact of the “fuzzy front end” on the success of new product development

In this study of new product development projects, the fuzzy front end of innovation was explored. The new product development process has multiple stages, so two types of fuzzy front end impacts on the success of new product development were examined: (1) a direct impact and (2) an indirect impact by influencing the next stage of the new product development process, i.e. project execution. Furthermore, the degree of project newness, in accordance with contingency theory, was considered.We developed and tested a conceptual model of relationships among key variables related to the fuzzy front end, project execution, and project success. The structural equation model was tested with AMOS using information from 144 projects completed by German measurement and control technique firms.For the most part, the responses from these firms supported the hypothesized relationships and the frequently claimed importance of the fuzzy front end was confirmed. The results offer strong support for the importance of the early involvement of all departments in new product development to enhance communication and, ultimately, project success. This process can be advanced by initial planning prior to development.Furthermore, the firms’ responses highlighted the importance of reducing market and technical uncertainty during the fuzzy front end, as both were found to negatively influence communication and increase deviations during project execution. The technical uncertainty remaining at the start of a project had a direct, negative influence on project efficiency and the most far-reaching implications regarding the success or failure of the project.With regard to contingency theory, the results indicated that efforts spent on the reduction of uncertainty to improve project execution and success may be influenced by the degree of newness of new product concepts. The degree of newness was found to influence the reduction of technical uncertainty, deviations from specifications, and efficiency.     

African Universities and the African Heritage

This article deals with the role of the universities in Africa. What are the challenges for educators who want to root African education in African traditions? After a brief look at pre- colonial and colonial education the article goes on to describe the situation after independence and especially the effects on higher education of a concentration of resources on basic education. To what extent do the link arrangements built up between universities in the North and the South perpetuate a colonial situation? What can be done to restore the dignity and heritage of the African people through university training? Examples are mostly taken from Tanzania, the country in Africa the author knows best.     

Enamel insert restorations on Limoges painted enamels: A study on a remarkable nineteenth-century restoration technique with particular attention to the original paillon designs

Two sixteenth-century Limoges painted enamel plaques by Léonard Limosin in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, show a remarkable restoration technique consisting of separately enameled pieces that have been inserted into areas where original enamel was lost. A detailed investigation of the two plaques brought information about this former restoration method and the materials used. Investigation included optical microscopy, UV-A examination, and X-radiography for identification and mapping of the insert restorations, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy for analyzing organic restoration material as well as X-ray fluorescence for studying the enamel compositions. A survey of six other Limoges painted enamel collections in the USA was carried out, which revealed many more of these insert restorations and indicated particular damages related to the so-called paillon designs on silver or gold foils. A literature review was undertaken focusing on possible causes of the damage as well as on persons and workshops that may have executed the insert restorations.